


This Bud of Love

by Courtney621



Category: AUSTEN Jane - Works, Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 07:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29995890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Courtney621/pseuds/Courtney621
Summary: Henry Tilney ponders the nature of his feelings for Catherine Morland.
Relationships: Catherine Morland/Henry Tilney
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	This Bud of Love

It was often said (usually by his sister, Eleanor) that Henry Tilney was in love with the sound of his own voice, and when he was being entirely honest with himself, he admitted that he was initially attracted to Catherine Morland because she seemed to be, too.

Henry had enjoyed many a flirtation in his life (Eleanor said he was indiscriminately agreeable to young ladies and that he ought to have more discretion), and he had originally thought that Miss Morland was just his latest object, but there had always been something different about her. She was artless in a way that he found completely charming; she was utterly without pretense. She was often naive, and occasionally silly, but always adorable.

But did he love her?

He was certain he did not.

...Reasonably certain.

But he could easily imagine things progressing in that direction.

He wasn't sure what to think about that.

He couldn't deny that he _liked_ her better than any other young lady he had ever known.

He wasn't sure what to think about _that_ , either.

There were matters that gave him pause: she was very young; he had not known her long; it was genuinely worrying that his father seemed to be promoting the match, and it grew increasingly worrying the more Henry thought about it. And yet, he never _did_ seem to worry about any of these things while in Miss Morland's company.

He only seemed to think about how much he enjoyed being around her. 

He would need to begin clarifying his intentions, if only to himself. It was getting to the point where Miss Morland might start harboring expectations, expectations he wasn't sure he was ready to meet.

Then again, maybe he _was_ ready to meet them.

_Stop being silly and go to sleep._

At any rate, he would see Miss Morland again tomorrow. He would dance with her, if she accepted (and she probably _would_ accept).

He grinned into his pillow, feeling both pleased and ridiculous.

He could figure out what it all meant later.


End file.
